The Football Forecast

An interview with: Javier Favarel

Despite not being a household name in the world of football, Javier Favarel has played for one of the world’s most prestigious teams in Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina, alongside former Argentine international Juan Sebastian Veron and current Manchester United player Marcos Rojo.

After leaving Estudiantes in 2012, he moved onto Uruguay and a team called IASA (Institucion Atletica Sud America) who he helped to win the Uruguayan 2nd Division Title in 2013. He stayed with them until 2015, leaving on loan for Deportivo Maldonado, a team known for giving players such as Jonathan Calleri and Alex Sandro a gateway to Europe. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury which put him out for 11 months. He linked up with fellow countryman Pablo Asensio at Whitehawk, but is currently without a club and working in Sports Direct in order to keep his footballing dream alive.

Q: So what do you want to achieve in your career here in England?

‘To play professional football. I played professionally all my career and this is the first time I have played in a part-time team, so I must be there as a professional again! I only came to this level because I know the manager that was at Whitehawk and he called me but things went really bad at Whitehawk and the manager left, so I need to find a team to show myself and move into the Football League.

I played at Estudiantes de La Plata from 2007 to 2012 and I was on the first team with Juan Sebastian Veron! The manager that promoted me to that team was Alejandro Sabella, the Argentina manager at the 2014 World Cup, I moved to Uruguay to a team called IASA, we were in the 2nd Division and we won the title and got promoted! I stayed there one more season and played in the 1st Division. The next season I went on loan to another 2nd Division team called Deportivo Maldonado where I had a bad injury and had to have surgeries. It was a whole year for me without playing before joining Whitehawk.’

Q: You had Pablo Asensio as the manager at Whitehawk and you also played alongside another Argentine in Sergio Torres, how much did they help out?

‘Pablo helped a lot! I knew him from before Whitehawk so he helped me a lot, he’s a really nice fella and he’s got an unimaginable football knowledge! Football is unfair in those situations, it was a shame he was not there longer. It was very helpful to have Sergio there, as he is a very experienced player!

Q: You’ve had a good career so far in South America then! Who’s the best player that you’ve played with?

‘With Juan Veron! I was 19 so he was always talking to me and the young lads to teachers! He was very excellent that’s why he was a top player! I play in the same position as him, so I was always looking and trying to learn and understand the way he did things, he always knew what to do before he received the ball. It was one of the most important experiences I have had! In that team as well, there was Jose Sosa, midfielder who was at Bayern Munich and is now at AC Milan, Marcos Rojo at Manchester United, Guido Carrillo at Monaco and Joaquin Correa at Sevilla!’

Q: You mentioned the injury, how long were you out for? And did you find it hard to play again afterwards?

‘It was 4 months from the first surgery, I was recovering and I had a big pain every day so doctors realised that the surgery was wrong. They changed the surgical screw for one of double dimensions, so I was out for around 11 months. It was hard but I am always testing myself, so I took that like a new chapter to fight for, it was a really long time, too long and I was missing every day off the pitch. Football to me is everything. Every single minute I am working at the shop I am thinking how much I love this game, this is the first time in my life I’ve worked in something other than football. It’s a new chapter for me, To achieve what I want I must make sacrifices and this is one of them!’

Q: What has been the best moment of your career so far?

‘When I got my hands on the cup playing for IASA when we won the title and I was designated as Player of the Season! That feeling was indescribable! I couldn’t stop crying, I’ve never felt anything in my life, there’s nothing like being champions! That feeling is one that you will never forget and it doesn’t happen very often! There is nothing like it, and it is worth every single second!